Strategic employment of an allocation process in a procurement system

ABSTRACT

A method, apparatus and program product are provided for generating an allocation table in a computerized procurement system. The method comprises creating an allocation table listing a plurality of articles to be allocated and a plurality of stores to receive the articles, and determining an allocation quantity of each article for each store based on a fixed quantity of the article and a variable quantity of the article. The fixed quantity of the article is the same for each store, and the variable quantity of the article is individually computed for each store. The method further comprises computing the variable quantity of the article for each store by applying predefined rules to historical data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/563,284, filed Apr. 16, 2004, entitled “Inventory Management,” whichis hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to the field of merchandiseplanning, and more specifically to the use of systems and methods forfacilitating allocation decisions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Businesses have become increasingly complex as the global marketplacehas expanded. As such, many businesses now encompass large, oftenunwieldy, infrastructures. In addition to the physical expansion ofbusinesses, many have greatly expanded the breadth of merchandiseoffered. Many businesses, such as retail stores, offer a wide variety ofmerchandise, for example clothing, sporting goods, and home furnishings.Furthermore, the depth of the merchandise offered has also expanded inan attempt to attract and maintain a large customer base. For instance,businesses often carry many variants, such as size or color, of the samearticle of clothing. This is particularly true in certain businessessuch as retail fashion sales where clothing is available in a plethoraof variations. This combination of a large infrastructure and a vastarray of merchandise creates great difficulty in ensuring the properflow of merchandise through the business.

Maintaining the proper allocation of merchandise is critical in amarketplace where customer loyalty is often fleeting. Customers desireboth depth and breadth in merchandise to provide them with a multitudeof purchasing choices. In addition, the allocation of merchandise to astore location can impact the overall layout of the store and thus, thepresentation made to the customer. Furthermore, allocation is one of themanners in which a business can proactively manage inventories tomaximize profitability. Clearly, the importance of an allocation schemein a modern retail business is relatively high.

Goods are generally not allocated in a vacuum. In fact, in many businessmodels, the allocation system is intricately interwoven with the othervarious aspects of the business to form one integrated network ofsystems. One system with which allocation is often associated isprocurement. The procurement system is the portion of the business modelwhich provides the goods, for example, by obtaining supplies fromvendors.

With the increasing significance of streamlined allocation andflexibility in business management, a need has developed for a businessmodel wherein the allocation system and the procurement system are ableto synchronize to more effectively integrate the allocation system intothe procurement system. Thus, there is a need for a business model thatprovides for an allocation system which is capable of synchronizing witha procurement system to provide for increased functionality and a moreefficient operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The systems and methods of the present invention facilitate thestrategic use of an allocation table in a procurement system. Theallocation table is provided with access to a business intelligence datawarehouse to allow for querying of the warehouse. The quantity in theallocation tables may be updated in light of the data from thewarehouse.

In an exemplary embodiment, the present invention relates to a methodfor generating an allocation table in a computerized procurement system.The method comprises creating an allocation table listing a plurality ofarticles to be allocated and a plurality of stores to receive thearticles, and determining an allocation quantity of each article foreach store based on a fixed quantity of the article and a variablequantity of the article. The fixed quantity of the article is the samefor each store, and the variable quantity of the article is individuallycomputed for each store. The method further comprises computing thevariable quantity of the article for each store by applying predefinedrules to historical data.

Another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to apparatus forgenerating an allocation table in a computerized procurement system. Theapparatus comprises a central processing unit (CPU) and a storage devicecoupled to the CPU. The storage device has information stored thereinfor configuring the CPU to create an allocation table listing aplurality of articles to be allocated and a plurality of stores toreceive the articles, and to determine an allocation quantity of eacharticle for each store based on a fixed quantity of the article and avariable quantity of the article. The fixed quantity of the article isthe same for each store, and the variable quantity of the article isindividually computed for each store. The storage device has informationtherein for further configuring the CPU to compute the variable quantityof the article for each store by applying predefined rules to historicaldata.

Yet another exemplary embodiment relates to a program product forgenerating an allocation table in a computerized procurement system. Theprogram product comprises machine readable program code for causing,when executed, one or more machines to perform method steps. The stepscomprise creating an allocation table listing a plurality of articles tobe allocated and a plurality of stores to receive the articles, anddetermining an allocation quantity of each article for each store basedon a fixed quantity of the article and a variable quantity of thearticle. The fixed quantity of the article is the same for each store,and the variable quantity of the article is individually computed foreach store. The steps further comprise computing the variable quantityof the article for each store by applying predefined rules to historicaldata.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription and accompanying figures. It should be understood, however,that the detailed description and specific examples, including figures,while indicating preferred embodiments of the present invention, aregiven by way of illustration and not limitation. Many modifications andchanges within the scope of the present invention may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof and the invention includes all suchmodifications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of an allocation system ofthe present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of an allocation table ofthe present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of allocation table itemdata for an allocation table item of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the present inventionwherein the allocation table is generated directly, following creationof an ad-hoc purchase order, or following operational assortmentplanning and control.

FIG. 5 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a purchase order inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of an allocation tableoverview.

FIG. 7 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of the generation offollow-on documents.

FIG. 8 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a recipient matrix for anallocation system of the present invention.

FIG. 9 illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a graphical userinterface displaying a recipient matrix.

FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a detail screen for arecipient matrix displayed on a graphical user interface.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a selection screen of thepresent invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the first level displayof the allocation table list.

FIG. 13 illustrates an exemplary fast change display.

FIG. 14 illustrates an exemplary process for calculating the quantity ofan article to be distributed to recipients.

FIG. 15 is a continuation of the process of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a selection screen for aparameterizable allocation strategy displayed on a graphical userinterface.

FIG. 17 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a recalculation of thequantity of an article to be distributed to recipients.

FIG. 18 illustrates a continuation of the process of FIG. 17.

FIG. 19 illustrates a flowchart of one embodiment of the presentinvention wherein the allocation table is generated directly from theassortment planning system.

FIG. 20 illustrates, for one embodiment of an allocation table, thesources of the allocation table's data.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousdetails are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding ofthe present invention. It would be evident to one skilled in the art,however, that the exemplary embodiments may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, structures, devices, or steps areshown in diagram form in order to facilitate description of theexemplary embodiments. Furthermore, while the embodiments describedherein refer primarily to retail products or retail sales articles, itis envisioned that the present description will be applicable to thesale of any type of product or service.

The present invention relates to an allocation system for a businessmodel. The business model, for example a fashion planning system for aretail store, may be executed using computer readable code. The businessmodel may be accomplished via a single system, a distributed system, orany combination thereof. The allocation system is used to plan, assign,and distribute goods to the various recipients such as individual storelocations or customers.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary allocation system 100. A merchandiseplanning step 110, a pre-allocation step 111, an ordering step 112, anda delivery notification step 113 are all accomplished at a first level115. The articles or goods are selected at step 116 to be allocated.Alternatively, the articles or goods could be services. The store(recipient) is then determined at a step 117. Information from thebusiness type definition is utilized at a step 118 to determine whichstores will have goods allocated to them. A predefined rule such as anallocation rule or an allocation strategy is then determined at a step120. When a particular good is constantly divided up among certainstores or store groups of a business in the same relative proportions,these proportions can be captured in an allocation rule. Actual orforecasted data can be used at a step 121 to determine the allocationrules. The allocation rules can be expressed as proportions in the formof ratios, percentages, fixed quantities, or combinations thereof. Theallocation rule, or rules, determined are then applied at a step 122 asan allocation proposal in the form of an allocation table. Modificationof the allocation table (such as synchronization of the allocation tablewith the associated purchase order, or orders) may be performed at astep 123.

The system and methods of the present invention, in one embodiment, usepredetermined rules to allocate at least a portion of goods. Thepredetermined rules may include but are not limited to allocation rules,equal allocation of quantities, and allocation strategies (discussedbelow in further detail). In addition, manual entry of site quantitiesmay be used in place of or with predetermined rules. In one embodiment,a specific store is assigned a fixed amount of an article, such as allstores receive the same initial allocation. Then an additional variablequantity is allocation depending on the application of the predeterminedrules. In one embodiment, allocation rules are used. Allocation rulesserve the following purposes:

-   -   Multiple use when generating allocation tables    -   Breakdown of the plants into categories (for example,        fast-seller/slow-seller analysis)    -   Identification of the quantity ratio with reference to a data        warehouse (for example, turnover for the previous month)

In one exemplary embodiment, the allocation system includes anallocation table. The allocation table is a planning tool used toallocate inventories of a particular stock or items among stores atspecific periods. The allocation table application allows a user toplan, trigger, and monitor goods supplied to recipients (for example,stores or customers). Thus, allocation tables are primarily used todistribute services, goods or articles (referred to as allocation tableitems) to recipients. The allocation table consists of items in whichthe total quantity of items to be allocated is defined. FIG. 2illustrates a graphical user interface 210 for displaying and revisingitems in an allocation table in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention. The graphical user interface 210 includes a headerregion 212 for displaying information such as running statisticsregarding allocation. The graphical user interface 210 further includesa table area 214 for the display of allocation table items. Table area214 includes information such as item or article to allocate, allocatedquantity, unit of measure, site group (which contains sites and/orcustomers), allocation strategy or rule (which means how to allocate),and item category (which controls the type of follow-on documents ordetermination of source of supply). Allocation strategies allow the userto determine ratios or quantities per site using a customer-specificallocation procedure. Allocation strategies can be used as analternative to allocation rules, to equal distribution of quantities(when specifying a site group), or to entering quantities manually forspecific sites. In addition to the allocation strategies contained inthe system, an allocation strategy can also contain a user-specificallocation procedure. Thus, in one embodiment the strategies asdescribed herein are used as a first basic step, i.e., an access to thebusiness warehouse containing default allocation strategies. The resultsof the allocation strategies are used to determine ratios or quantitiesper article and recipient.

As illustrated in FIG. 20, the allocation system 2001 is operativelyconnected to the purchasing system 2002 and the planning system 2003.The planning system includes the assortment system 2005 which includesvarious data, for example articles and grouping 2007, quantities 2009,stores 2010, vendors 2011, and dates 2012. The purchasing system 2002contains the purchase order 2014 for use in generating an allocationtable. The purchase order 2014 may include article 2015, quantity toallocate 2017, vendor 2019, distribution center (not shown), anddistribution date (not shown). The allocation system 2001 generates anallocation table using data from the planning system 2002 and thepurchasing system 2003. For example, as shown in the exemplaryembodiment of FIG. 20, article 2023, quantity to allocation 2025, andvendor 2027 are derived from the purchasing system 2003, while store2029, quantity per store 2031, and store date 2033 are derived from theplanning system 2002.

FIG. 3 illustrates a graphical user interface 310 for displaying andrevising allocation item data for an allocation item. The graphical userinterface 310 includes a header region 312 and a table area 314. Variousinformation may be represented by the allocation item data in the tablearea 314, such as but not limited to, recipients of the article/item,recipient quantity, delivery date, and distribution center. In anexemplary embodiment, the quantity of an item is first divided up intothe quantities planned for store groups as shown in FIG. 3. A store orsite group is a grouping of stores that are managed as a single entityin planning and allocation processes. For example, in one embodiment,the members of a store group share some characteristics such as, but notlimited to, being organized by common merchandise category, havingsimilar sales volume, and changing frequently. The quantity for eachstore group is then divided up into the quantities planned for theindividual stores. The source of supply is also determined. How an itemis procured is defined at the item level. For example, items can beprocured as follows: direct delivery from the vendor to recipient (thirdparty); delivery to the distribution center and then to the recipient;and delivery from the distribution center to the recipient (allocationout of warehouse stock).

The allocation table can be generated in several ways. One possiblegroup of scenarios for the generation of allocation tables isillustrated in FIG. 4. For example, in one exemplary embodiment, anallocation table 420 may be directly created and a purchase ordergenerated therefrom. In another exemplary embodiment, creation of anallocation table 420 may follow the creation of and reference to anad-hoc purchase order (i.e., a purchase order not directed by theoperational assortment planning and control system). In yet anotherexemplary embodiment, an operational assortment planning and controlsystem 423 may drive the creation of an allocation table 420 via aprocurement instrument 424 such as, but not limited to, a price-shopreport, a purchase order list, or a purchase order. This provides anallocation table with reference to the purchase order and includesallocation table data therefrom. In this context, the correspondingvendor orders must already exist in the system when the allocation tableis being generated. In specific cases, the purchase order data from thegenerated allocation item (which comes from the purchase order) may nolonger match the recipient data (which comes from operational assortmentplanning and control for fashion) for this item. The allocation tableitems generated may then be incomplete, and the recipient data of thegenerated allocation table items must be modified manually. Postallocation modifications 425 may also be made, such as synchronizing ofthe allocation table data with the associated information in theprocurement system. Thus, in one embodiment, synchronization is possiblefrom a purchase order to an allocation table, but not from an allocationtable to a purchase order. In this embodiment, an allocation table canbe changed when a vendor purchase order is exists, but there will be nosynchronization.

FIG. 5 illustrates a graphical user interface 510 for displaying andediting a invention. The graphical user interface 510 includes a headerregion 512 and a table region 514. The table region 514 of the graphicaluser interface 510 may contain information such as, but not limited to,distribution center article or good designation, quantity, price,delivery date, or cumulative purchase order quantity. The purchase orderis a request or instruction from the business to a vendor (external orinternal) to deliver a certain quantity of a product or to performcertain services at a certain point in time. The purchase order containspurchase order data that corresponds to the allocation table item dataof the allocation table with which the purchase order is associated.

As shown in FIG. 6, in one embodiment an allocation table overview isprovided for display on a graphical user interface 610. A header region612 is provided with information regarding supply date and the status. Atabular region 614 is provided which displays specific informationregarding the articles in the allocation table, including but notlimited to article name, planned amount, allocation rule, supplier, anddesignation. In other exemplary embodiments, additional views based onthe data in the allocation table are envisioned as discussed herein.

If all of the data in an allocation table is complete, thencorresponding follow-on documents can be created. In one embodiment, ifthe vendor order has already been generated for a two-level allocationtable for an allocation item, a user can no longer change the recipientquantities. In another embodiment, it is possible to change the deliverydate or quantities or supplying distribution center as long as nofollow-on document for a recipient (store or customer) is generated evenif a vendor order exists. FIG. 7 illustrates a graphical user interface710 which displays information for the generation of follow-on documentsfrom an allocation table. Graphical user interface 710 includes a tableregion 714 which provides information regarding the stock split such as,but not limited to, article number, date, and quantity.

For the distribution process, it may be useful in some contexts tomodify the recipient data for an allocation table item once thecorresponding purchase orders have already been generated for externalvendors. Various attributes of an allocation table item can be modifiedeither individually or in combination. Changes to recipient data couldinclude, for example, modified quantities or a new delivery date. It maybe further desired for new recipients to be added or removed as a resultof internal changes such as the opening or closure of retail sites. Thevendor's delivery date may also be delayed. The quantity and deliverydates may also change between the time that a purchase order is createdand the goods are to be physically delivered. This may result in thevendor order being changed. Purchase orders submitted to the vendor mayalso be subsequently changed due to internal circumstances, and thevendor may receive an updated purchase order. In this case, the purchaseorder quantity or delivery date could also change. It is also possiblethat the distribution center to which the goods are to be delivered maychange, or that a purchase order item could even be cancelled.

Due to these changes to a purchase order item, in one embodiment, theallocation system can create allocation tables that belong to a purchaseorder item and the data in the purchase list which contains informationregarding the quantities allocated for the stores). This is particularlyuseful if articles (e.g., fashion items) with a long lead time(production) have to be ordered. For example, a recipient's requirementsmay change between the time a purchase order is created and the goodsare delivered. Thus, the purchase order has the vendor order informationand the information on how to allocate (i.e., store and quantityinformation). In one embodiment, as a first step the vendor order iscreated, and then the allocation table is created as a second step. In athird step, the follow-on documents for the sites (i.e., store orders)was created by the allocation system. In an exemplary embodiment, thequantities allocated to some stores are fixed and the quantitiesallocated to other stores are determined based on allocation strategies.However, the total allocation quantity cannot exceed the total quantityordered.

In order that the allocation table can react to a change incircumstances, it must be possible to change recipient data for anallocation item with existing vendor orders. However, changes to therecipient data in the allocation table cannot result in the purchaseorder data of existing vendor orders in the allocation table beingchanged.

In one exemplary embodiment, the term “synchronization” means thatpurchase order data in a corresponding allocation table willautomatically be updated if the corresponding vendor order is changed.The data may be updated automatically, manually, or by a combinationthereof. In one exemplary embodiment, data will be synchronized online.The relevant data constellation will determine whether data can besynchronized, or further, whether synchronization can be carried outautomatically. The allocation table item may have to be changed manuallyin a second step (as described above), in order to redistribute torecipients the synchronized vendor purchase order quantity of thedistribution centers.

In one exemplary embodiment, a business model of the present inventionutilizes a budgeting system. The budgeting system may have an open tobuy (“OTB”) check. OTB budget is the portion of the current purchasingbudget still available to spend.

As soon as a vendor order already exists for an allocation table item,the change in the purchase order item takes precedence overpurchase-order-relevant changes to the allocation table item (due to theOTB check). The purchase order must first be changed to ensure that OTBbudget is available. Therefore, a change to order-relevant data (vendororder) is not permitted in the allocation table. Changes must be made inthe purchase order. In this case, the corresponding allocation tablewill be synchronized.

Although various changes to the allocation table are contemplated byembodiments of the present invention, in certain circumstances thesechanges may be limited to being made in a specific manner, within aspecific range, or not allowed to be made. A user will be able to changerecipient data for an allocation item if a vendor order has already beengenerated for this item. However, this will not be possible if follow-ondocuments (e.g., stock transport orders, third-party orders, deliveries,sales orders) exist for the item's recipients.

If a vendor order already exists for an allocation item, it will nolonger be possible to change the relevant distribution center data ofthe allocation item (for example, vendor). If vendor orders have alreadybeen generated for an allocation item (as follow-on documents of theallocation table), but no follow-on documents have been created for therecipients, this allocation table item cannot be deleted. However, inthis case, the allocation table item can be deleted in the allocationtable by setting the deletion indicator in the vendor orders generated.

A purchase order change can only be synchronized for a generatedallocation table for operational assortment planning and control(assortment planning) if the relationship between the purchase orderitem and allocation table item is unique. For example, if several itemsin the purchase order list (for different price-shop report items) aremerged for one purchase order item, the unique relationship is lost andchanges to the purchase order item cannot be synchronized with theallocation table.

In one exemplary embodiment, the allocation table is created directlyfrom the assortment planning system. That is, the allocation table iscreated directly from the assortment planning system rather than from apurchase order (which is generated by the assortment planning system).In this embodiment, an allocation table is generated in every casereferencing the purchase order and a purchasing list. In one embodiment,the assortment planning system includes a purchasing list havingpurchasing list items. The purchasing list item may include, but is notlimited to, information such as generic article information, variantinformation, planned quantities, store delivery dates, prepack articlequantities, and combinations thereof. The allocation table items aredriven by and reflect the information in the purchase list items.Information for the purchase order list may be derived from a businessintelligence database, manual input, feedback from the allocationsystem, or a combination thereof. In addition, changes, including manualchanges, can be made to the purchase order list or the allocation table.This results in updated information being relayed to the assortmentsystem and/or the business intelligence database.

The purchasing list contains information regarding orders from vendorsand how to allocate the goods to the stores. With this information it ispossible to generate a purchase order as a first step. Subsequently, itis also possible to generate an allocation table with the quantities forthe stores directly from the purchasing list.

In one exemplary embodiment, the following steps are prerequisites togenerate an allocation table:

-   -   create the purchase list    -   create the purchase order    -   generate the allocation table

In one embodiment, illustrated by the flowchart of FIG. 19, anassortment system 1703 receives information from a business intelligencewarehouse 1704 and/or from a user 1705, e.g. via manual input. If theassortment planning system is updated, such as with information from theuser 1705, then the business intelligence warehouse 1704 may be updated.In addition, the assortment system 1703 generates a purchase order 1706.A purchase order list 1707 is then generated from the purchase order1706, which also may receive input from the user 1705. If the purchaseorder list 1707 is updated by the user 1705, then the assortmentplanning system 1703 may be updated. The purchase order list 1707 isused to generate an allocation table 1708. The user 1705 may alsoprovide information used for the generation of the allocation table1708, in which case the purchase order list 1707 may be updated. Afterthe generation of an allocation table as described, the allocationnumber and allocation table item is given as a link to the purchasinglist.

In one embodiment, the purchase order 1706 may be generated from theallocation table 1708 (any dual level allocation table such asvendor—distribution centers—recipient), whereby the goods will beprocured with an external vendor and delivered to recipients usingdistribution centers. Vendor orders will be generated for thisallocation table item. In this case, the allocation table can besynchronized for the purchase order.

In another exemplary embodiment, an allocation table with reference to apurchase order is generated. In yet another exemplary embodiment, anad-hoc purchase order is created followed by the creation of anallocation table with reference to this purchase order. In yet anotherexemplary embodiment, an allocation table is generated for operationalassortment planning and control for fashion with reference to a purchaseorder.

In one exemplary embodiment, the recipient data in the allocation tableis changed after a vendor order is created. Recipient data in anallocation table item may be changed due to internal circumstances thatresult in the date being changed for individual recipients, for example,a store opening or closing, or renovations. In this case, recipientquantities may also be redistributed and modified to suit the currentrecipient requirements. It may not be possible to update purchase ordersfrom the allocation table, in which case order-relevant data (vendororder) cannot be changed in the allocation table.

In another exemplary embodiment, the recipient quantities of theallocation table may be changed (i.e., redistributed). The distributionquantities of individual recipients can be redistributed in theallocation table item. As vendor orders already exist for thisallocation table item, the purchase order quantity of the distributioncenters must not change. Therefore, when the recipient quantities arebeing redistributed, checks may be implemented to ensure that theaccumulated quantities of the distribution centers do not change. Thismeans that the total quantity of the allocation table item must also notchange. In one embodiment, if this is not adhered to, the system willrecord this in the log of incomplete items. In an exemplary embodiment,if the cumulated quantity of all sites is higher than the orderedquantity, then the allocation table item will be marked as incomplete.If the quantity of all sites is less than the ordered quantity, awarning will be given.

In one exemplary embodiment, the delivery date for recipients in anallocation table may be changed. As vendor orders already exist for thisallocation table item, the distribution center delivery dates must notbe changed. Thus, the recipient's delivery dates may be checked againstthe delivery dates of the corresponding distribution centers in the logof incomplete items. If these dates are not adhered to, the system willrecord this error in the log of incomplete items, and the allocationtable item is marked as incomplete.

In one exemplary embodiment, recipients in the allocation table may beadded or removed. Recipients can be added (for example, store opening)or removed (for example, store closure) for an allocation table item.The specified item quantity must then be distributed among this higheror lower number of recipients. If the allocation table item is generatedfrom an action, a user will not be able to change the recipients in theallocation table. In this case, a user will not be able to add or removerecipients for this allocation table item. The log of incomplete itemswill check the consistency of the changed allocation table item (seeabove). If a user changes the recipient data so that errors appear inthe log of incomplete items, the allocation order item will beincomplete.

Continuing with this embodiment, if the changes to the purchase orderitem are relevant for the allocation table, this allocation table itemwill be synchronized with the changed purchase order item. In thiscontext, the purchase order will only pass on consistent changes to theallocation table. This ensures that an OTB check is carried out for thechanged purchase order item.

The type of allocation table modification carried out will depend on thechange made in the purchase order. It must always be checked whether theallocation table can be modified. If follow-on documents already existfor at least one recipient for the corresponding allocation table item,it may not be possible to change the allocation table, and acorresponding error may be issued to the purchase order. If theallocation table is locked (that is, being edited) by another user orprocess, it will not be possible to change it, and a corresponding errormessage will be sent to the purchase order.

In a first step, the changes (purchase order quantities, delivery date,and so on) will be transferred for the corresponding distribution centerof the corresponding allocation table item. In a second step, the systemwill try to consolidate these changes accordingly, on the distributioncenter, for the allocation table item. Then, the log of incomplete itemswill be called to check the consistency of the changed allocation tableitem. If the allocation table item was changed so that errors appear inthe log of incomplete items, the allocation table item will be markedincomplete.

Corresponding confirmation is sent to the purchase order. In thiscontext, a log of any error that occurred (for example, the allocationtable is incomplete) will also be transferred. In one embodiment, thepurchase order must react suitably to this confirmation, and provide alog. If the user does not save these changes, the changes to thepurchase order and the allocation table are lost, and both documentswill have the status they had before changes were made.

When the user posts the purchase order, the changed allocation tableitems will also be posted. If errors exist in the allocation tableitems, these will be posted with the status “incomplete.” In oneexemplary embodiment, a user must manually, retroactively editincomplete allocation table items on the allocation table's maintenancescreen.

In one exemplary embodiment, the step of changing data in the allocationtable comprises the step of changing the quantity in the purchase orderitem. If a user changes the purchase order quantity (either number ofunits or the unit of measure) in the purchase order item, in the firststep, the corresponding allocation table item will be transferred as thenew purchase order quantity for the corresponding distribution center ofthe relevant allocation table item.

In a second step, the system will try to automatically redistribute thechanged purchase order quantity across the recipients involved. Asseveral distribution centers may occur for each allocation table itemand the changed purchase order item refers to one distribution center,the new purchase order quantity of the corresponding distribution centermust be redistributed across the recipients involved. At thedistribution center level, this type of modification of the previousrecipient quantities may be carried out as a percentage of the previousallocation table quantities. If the purchase order quantity was onlychanged using a different unit of measure, this step may be omitted.

The log of incomplete items will check the consistency of the changedand calculated quantities. If an error occurs in this context, theallocation table item will be incomplete.

In one exemplary embodiment, the step of changing data in the allocationtable comprises changing a date in the purchase order item. If a userchanges the delivery date in the purchase order item, in the first step,the date will be transferred as the new purchase order date for thecorresponding distribution center of the relevant allocation table item.

From the recipient's viewpoint, the system does not react to datechanges. The recipient's delivery dates are checked against the deliverydates of the corresponding distribution centers in the incompletion log.If these dates are not adhered to, the system will record this error inthe log of incomplete items, and the allocation table item is marked asincomplete.

In another exemplary embodiment, the step of changing data in theallocation table comprises the steps of changing the distribution centerin the purchase order item. If a user changes the distribution center ina purchase order item, the corresponding distribution center record ofthe allocation table item will be replaced accordingly in a first step.In a second step, the distribution center will be replaced accordinglyfor the corresponding recipient. The log of incomplete items will bechecked for consistency of the changed allocation order item. If anerror occurs in this context, the allocation table item will be markedas incomplete.

In another exemplary embodiment, the step of changing data in theallocation table comprises deleting the purchase order item (purchaseorder item deletion indicator). If the deletion indicator is set for thepurchase order item, it must be determined whether the purchase orderwas created as a follow-on document of the allocation table, or if theallocation table was created with reference to the purchase order. Ifthe allocation table item was created with reference to the purchaseorder item, the entire allocation order item refers to this purchaseorder item. In this case, the entire allocation order item will bedeleted. In the purchase order item, the reference to the allocationtable item (allocation table number and item number) must be deleted. Onthe other hand, if the purchase order item was generated as a follow-ondocument of the allocation order item, the purchase order item willrelate to the delivery phase of a distribution center in the allocationtable item.

In a first step, the corresponding delivery phase of the pertinentdistribution center of the allocation item will be deleted. If this isthe only delivery phase for the distribution center, the distributioncenter record will also be deleted. If other delivery phases exist forthe distribution center, the purchase order quantity of the purchaseorder item (for which the deletion indicator was set) will be deductedfrom the purchase order quantity of the distribution center. In thepurchase order item, the reference to the allocation table item(allocation table number and item number) must be deleted.

In a second step, these changes will be transferred to the recipients inthe distribution center. If the distribution center was deleted, allrelevant recipients of the distribution center will also be deleted. Ifall recipients received deliveries from this distribution center, theentire allocation table item will also be deleted. If the distributioncenter had several delivery phases, and if the purchase order quantityof the distribution center was reduced as a result, this reducedpurchase order quantity will be distributed across the recipientsinvolved, as a percentage of the previous allocation quantities.

The log of incomplete items will check the consistency of the changedallocation order item. If an error occurs in this context, theallocation table item will be incomplete.

In one exemplary embodiment, a modification-free customer enhancement isprovided to allow a user to manually consolidate allocation table datafollowing the changes in distribution center data. The modification-freecustomer enhancement will be enabled before consolidation of thetransfer of changes of the distribution center to the entire allocationtable item (second step in the procedure outlined above). Here, a userwill be able to select a corresponding indicator to suppress theautomatic breakdown of the changed distribution center data on theentire allocation table item. In this case, the allocation table itemmay be incomplete, and consolidation must be carried out manually andretroactively on the allocation table maintenance screen.

If the allocation table was created with reference to a contract, thevendor order serves as a release order. In this case, the system mustexamine whether the changes made to the purchase order item can bereconciled with the contract. In particular, the quantity restrictionsspecified in the contract must be adhered to. This means that thecontract does not need to carry out a special check to ensure that theterms of the contract are adhered to.

Adding a new purchase order item does not have any impact on theallocation table. New purchase order items do not yet have an allocationtable reference, and are treated in the same way as other ad-hocpurchase order items. Any allocation table items created for thesepurchase order items must be created manually (allocation table withreference to a purchase order).

Changes may be made to the allocation table at any time, on a repeatedbasis, provided the prerequisites described above are adhered to. Inthis context, the volume of data is identical with the allocation tablescreated or the corresponding changes made to the allocation table(without existing follow-on documents).

In another exemplary embodiment, a recipient matrix is provided. Therecipient matrix is a display in the allocation table that allows a userto display and change the planned quantities for all recipients ofseveral allocation table items on one screen of a graphical userinterface. Once the article has been distributed, a new matrix display(recipient matrix) may be used to provide an overview of thedistribution of the generic article or of all generic article variantsfor all recipients on one screen. The recipient matrix displays andprocesses the planned quantities for recipients.

In one exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 8, a recipient matrix 820 hasa tabular form with recipients on a x-axis 823 (rows) and articlevariants on an Y-axis 822 (columns). This recipient matrix displayprovides recipients on a first dimension and data regarding articlesallocated to those recipients on a second dimension. This is in contrastto the normal allocation table overview (FIGS. 2 and 6) which displaythe article on a first dimension and information relating to the articleon the second dimension. Thus the recipient matrix provides analternative display which can be more user friendly when seekinginformation on a store basis (as opposed to on an article basis). Inthis exemplary embodiment, each element, node, or cell in the recipientmatrix represents a recipient's planned quantity for one article variant(with the exception of elements in the totals row/column). A column 825is provided with the total allocation of the generic article (sum of allof the article variants displayed) for the stores displayed. A row 824is provided with totals for each variant, of the article displayed,across all of the stores displayed. For example, as shown in FIG. 8,element 821 represents the recipient store 1 being allocated tenarticles of size 36, in red.

In an exemplary embodiment, the allocation table may be viewed in anallocation table item overview. In the allocation table item overview, auser is able to select different articles (allocation table items) andcall the corresponding new recipient matrix.

In another exemplary embodiment, planned quantities of the matrix may bemodified (for example, due to a rounding profile), followed by anothercall of the matrix with changed values. Thus, the recipient matrix hasconnectivity with the rest of the allocation system such that whencorresponding values are changed, the recipient matrix is changed andmay be called up to display the new information, such as revised articlequantities.

In one exemplary embodiment, the recipient matrix allows a user to sortaccording to characteristics (only when generic article is used forcall). The allocation tables are made available and updated (broken downinto delivery phases, aggregation at item recipient groups, and so on).Processing of the changed values of the recipient matrix occurs, takingaccount of the function codes, when exiting the matrix.

In one embodiment shown in FIG. 10 a user will be able to call a detailscreen 1030 for a recipient matrix element. Detail screen 1030 displaysinformation on the referenced article in a list format. The informationincludes variant number 1031, customer information, 1032, and type ofvariants 1033 such as size 1034 and color 1035. In addition, in anexemplary embodiment, the detail screen provides details on thereferenced recipients.

The data that will be required to call the recipient matrix will usuallybe available at the time the internal table of the allocation table iscalled. This data does not need to be read for the call from thedatabase. However, only items for which at least one recipient recordexists will be transferred to the matrix for display purposes.

In an exemplary embodiment, a check is performed to determine whetherthe recipient matrix has been used to change an article quantity, aswell as to determine which items can be changed and in what way. Here, acheck is required to determine if vendor orders already exist for thecurrent allocation table item to allow the recipient's quantities, butnot the entire quantity of the item, to be changed. If severaldistribution centers exist for each item, the check must be carried outfor each distribution center. In one embodiment, the total quantity forall recipients of a distribution center for which a vendor order alreadyexists must remain the same. In another embodiment, a lower quantitywill lead to a placement in storage. If only one distribution centerexists for each item, the total quantity must not be changed again. Ifnew quantities are determined during the quantity adjustment (forexample, due to rounding), or if the system determines when theabove-mentioned check is being carried out that quantity overrunsoccurred, a log will be updated and displayed using the module. If it isno longer possible to change an item, all corresponding elements willalso no longer be ready for input in change mode (during elementdefinition).

In an exemplary embodiment, if a user navigates from the recipientmatrix back to the item overview, the changed values may be returned.The ability to add new entries must also be deactivated in the matrixlist mode, as no new recipients or articles can be added.

In an exemplary embodiment, when the recipient matrix is called, thefollowing steps will be carried out: (1) determine all recipients forall items and set up internal table; (2) supply matrix modes (list mode,value mode); (3) define and supply header screen; and (4) define axissuch that default Y-axis is the recipient-specific axis, and X-axis isthe article-specific axis.

In one embodiment, when a user activates a element in the matrix, suchas by double clicking on a computer mouse, the allocation detailedinformation for referenced recipients and element articles is called up,such as from a global internal table. Thus, determination of detailedinformation on a element is possible. This may be particularly importantif the corresponding information displayed on the article or recipientis insufficient, such as due to a character restriction in theline/column heading. In an exemplary embodiment, a determination of thedetailed information on the element, selected such as by a double-clickof a mouse, is made based on the article type. For variant articles adetermination of the variant-creating characteristics is made. Forstructured articles, a determination of the components of the structuredarticle is made.

Two header screens that contain specific information and containfunction keys will be required for the recipient matrix. Suchinformation includes, for example, the number of chosen articles/items.If a generic article is used or only variants of one generic article,the generic article (number) with its description is displayed. In oneexemplary embodiment, function keys are provided for: (1) displayingoptions a) for the article display article number or description orcharacteristics, b) for the recipient display address name or sitenumber, and c) recipient/article row or column; and (2) sort options forthe articles.

In one embodiment shown in FIG. 9, a graphical user interface, such as ascreen 926, is required for the recipient matrix for selected articles.Screen 926 displays information on the number of articles and thefunctions allocated with the recipient matrix. Screen 926 includes aheader screen 914 for the generic article recipient matrix 920. In oneembodiment, this screen 926 displays the article number 927 and the textof the underlying generic article, as well as the total number ofvariants 928. Function keys 929 may also be provided, such as but notlimited to: (1) adapt quantities; (2) do not change item quantities; (3)change article heading (dynamically in line with headings from dataelement); (4) change recipient heading (dynamically in line withsettings from data element); and (5) sort according to characteristic(dynamically, based on the characteristics, only possible for call usinggeneric article). The functions may be labeled accordingly in a groupbox or individually.

In another exemplary embodiment, the allocation system includes a searchprocess with a selection mechanism for searching and displayingallocation tables that match specific search criteria. As shown in FIG.11, the allocation selection mechanism may include an allocation tablelist 1150 which includes various selection criteria 1151 which may beused to search for specific allocation tables. Such criteria mayinclude, but are not limited to, allocation table number, article group,article hierarchy level, article, site, allocation table type, goodsreceipt date for the distribution center, supplier, purchase ordernumber, whether a vendor order exists, created by, date of last change,purchasing organization, purchasing group, maintenance status values,activity status values, and recalculation status values. In an exemplaryembodiment, specific criteria is set by default to avoid the use oflarge-scale data sets which would result in long run times. For example,if an allocation table number is not used, then at least one headselection criterion of the allocation table must be used. In oneexemplary embodiment, when less than two header criteria are used, awarning message is displayed alerting the user that the search processmay take a long time and may result in numerous entries. In an exemplaryembodiment, in an attempt to prevent the search process from resultingin an unwieldy amount of data, the following criteria are thereforechecked:

-   -   If a user uses (an) allocation table number(s) for the        selection, the selection is carried out and the output list        issued at the first level (on the upper tree control screen        area).    -   If a user leaves the allocation number selection field blank,        the selection is only permitted if at least one header criterion        of the allocation table is specified. Header criteria may        include the following: allocation table type, purchasing        organization, purchasing group, name of the person who created        the entry, date of the last change, maintenance status, and        activity status.    -   If a user enters less than two header criteria, a warning        message appears to inform a user that the selection may result        in long result times, and that the output list may contain so        many entries that it will be difficult to process. The selection        is implemented if a user confirms.    -   If a user selects a combination of criteria that may result in a        long runtime and produce a large output list, an appropriate        warning will appear. A user will be able to cancel the        selection, or execute it if the user confirms so in a dialog box        that appears. For example, this is the case if all status        criteria are selected.

The search process results in a report for displaying the results of thesearch process. In an exemplary embodiment, the report displaysinformation from the selected allocation tables in a compressed formatat two levels. FIG. 12 illustrates an allocation table list 1258displayed on a graphical user interface. In an exemplary embodiment, afirst level display 1260 includes allocation table number 1261 a,description 1262 a, supplier (such as by name 1263 a or account number1264 a), purchase organization 1265, purchase group 1266, allocationtable type 1267, maintenance status 1268 a. Also included is a functionthat allows expansion of the display to show a second level 1281. Otherinformation may be shown such as but not limited to activity status,created by, and creating application. In an exemplary embodiment, theheader-level allocation table information and some of the allocationtable distribution center data are displayed at level one 1260.

The display at level two 1281 will display allocation table informationat the item level, along with some of the allocation table distributioncenter data. The level two display 1281 includes, allocation tablenumber 1261 b, item number 1272, article number 1273, description 1262b, quantity (planned quantity item) 1275, distribution unit of measure(UoM) 1276, supplier (account number) 1263 b, supplier (name) 1264 b,item category 1277, allocation table maintenance status 1268 b,allocation table item activity status 1278, and purchase document 1279.In an exemplary embodiment, as with the first level, the distributioncenter data is not actually displayed at the allocation table item level(which means that an allocation table item can receive deliveries frommore than one distribution center). This data is not unique at the itemlevel. Therefore, only the first distribution center identified for thefirst allocation table item, and the corresponding supplier, can bedisplayed here. If other distribution centers exist for the allocationcenter, these are displayed using an indicator.

In an exemplary embodiment, the distribution center data is not actuallydisplayed at the allocation table header level (which means that anallocation table can contain more than one distribution center). Thisdata is not unique at the header level. Therefore, only the firstdistribution center identified for the first allocation table item, andthe corresponding supplier, can be displayed. If other distributioncenters exist in the allocation center, these are displayed using anindicator.

In another exemplary embodiment, the search process includes a mechanismfor restricting the initial selection scope. Another block will bedisplayed on the selection screen to restrict the initial selectionscope for displaying the allocation table headers (display options),reduce the dataset to be read as required, and minimize the responsetime up to the first time the allocation table header is displayed atlevel one 1260:

-   -   Never display distribution center and delivery dates: the        distribution center and delivery dates will not be displayed        either on the upper or lower screen area.    -   Display distribution center and delivery dates at a later stage:        the distribution center and delivery dates are initially not        displayed on the upper screen area. As soon as a user selects an        allocation table on the top screen area to transfer and display        its items to the lower screen area, or when an allocation table        is expanded on the top screen area the distribution center and        delivery dates are displayed.    -   Display distribution center and delivery dates immediately: the        dates distribution center and delivery dates for the selected        allocation tables are immediately displayed in both screen        areas. However, if a user specifies the delivery date as a        criterion on the selection screen, the delivery dates are        displayed immediately.

In another aspect of the present invention, a fast change process isprovided to allow a user to change specific values at the item level oran item's retail site level. As shown in FIG. 13, a fast change display1385 is provided. A user can select one or more items, then call thefast change screen such as by a fast change button (not shown), thenenter the new values and, if necessary, some restrictions (for example,do changes only for sites which are delivered by a specific distributioncenter). Fast change at the item level may include site group,allocation rule, item category (controls the logical sequence from theprocurement of an article to goods receipt for the article in a store),allocation strategy, and recipient determination. Fast change at therecipient level for an item may include supplier, distribution center,notification category (determines how data is exchanged between headoffice and the retail sites or distribution centers), confirmationrequest date, and delivery date.

If, for example, the delivery date is changed using the fast changefunction, this date is changed for all retail sites for items selectedfor fast change.

Restricting the recipients affected by a change will allow a user tocarry out changes only for specific recipients of an item. This will beimplemented as an enhancement of the item fast change function. In anexemplary embodiment, the following options are available forrestricting item fast change:

-   -   The change applies only for recipients that are entered        directly.    -   The change applies for recipients that receive deliveries from        the distribution center specified.    -   The change applies for recipients that receive goods from the        specified suppliers.    -   The change applies for recipients that receive deliveries on a        specific date.        A change option for item data that is relevant to recalculation        may also be added to the fast change function. The corresponding        fields may be added on the item fast change screen        (recalculation-relevant indicator, strategy, variant, days or        goods receipt for distribution center).

Due to merchandise controlling issues, it may be necessary to distributethe remaining goods in a distribution center using an ad-hoc allocationtable. This distribution may be either a stock reduction or a return ofgoods to recipients. In this context, the articles involved will berecorded in an article list by merchandise controlling. Thus, in oneexemplary embodiment allocation tables may be created for an articlelist.

When an allocation table is created that refers to a purchase order(i.e., an ad-hoc allocation table), the allocation system displays aselection screen for choosing the purchase orders in the first step. Thepurchase order items a user selects in this first step are displayed ina second screen, where the user can transfer these selected purchaseorder items to the allocation table. The selection screen provides aplurality of parameters which allow a user to select specific purchaseorders. Such parameter may include, but is not limited to, the deliverydate for the distribution center.

In another exemplary embodiment, when an ad-hoc allocation table iscreated the allocation system displays a selection screen for choosingarticles in a first step. The articles selected in the first step aredisplayed in a second screen where the user can transfer the selectedarticles into the allocation table. In one exemplary embodiment, afunction is provided to allow multiple article selection, such as byallowing the selection of an entire article list. The correspondingarticles will then be transferred to the article selection option on theallocation table selection screen. Article selection, in one exemplaryembodiment, allows for the selection of articles for a element in thearticle hierarchy. If a user specifies a element for an articlehierarchy, the system will select the corresponding articles. Thesecorresponding articles are then displayed on the second screen and maybe selected for transfer to the allocation table.

In one exemplary embodiment, allocation strategies may be utilized as analternative to allocation rules, the equal allocation of quantities, andthe manual entry of site quantities. Allocation strategies allow ratiosand quantities to be determined for each retail site, usingcustomer-specific allocation procedures. Allocation strategies can beused to allocate a specific planned quantity of an allocation table itemacross recipients. Allocation strategies can also be used to determinequantities for the recipients of an allocation table item. Thesequantities are then accumulated as the planned quantity for the item. Inthis context, allocation strategies are sets of rules in that theyconstitute influencing factors/parameters used to allocate quantities.However, allocation strategies, as opposed to allocation rules, can bedynamic and reflect a business's changing allocation needs.

In one exemplary embodiment, when an allocation table is created, theallocation type proposes an allocation strategy. The default allocationstrategies can be changed for each item. In one embodiment, anallocation strategy is a function module which is integrated for use viacustomizing by a user. In one embodiment, allocation strategies arepredetermined. Some strategies are delivered as standard coding, butstrategies developed by the customer can also be used. In anotherexemplary embodiment, the allocation strategy is automaticallyimplemented at the item level if retail sites exist for an allocationitem.

Both parameterizable and non-parameterizable allocation strategies maybe used in accordance with the principles of the present invention.Non-parameterizable allocation strategies operate substantially in thebackground, requiring little or no input from a user. In other words, auser determines the allocation strategy and does not need to input anyother entries as regards quantity calculation by the selected strategy.In contrast, a user must enter specific data for parameterizablestrategies. In one embodiment, parameterizable strategies also can runin the background, when given default values for the parameters. In oneexemplary embodiment, the business intelligence warehouse only returns akey figure (i.e., non-derived values or quantities) for each recipient.Allocation strategies can be used to extract data from the businessintelligence warehouse, for example, by implementing queries in thebusiness intelligence warehouse. In one exemplary embodiment, thequeries that can be used in allocation strategies must contain at leastthree characteristics and one key figure. In one embodiment in whichlow-medium-high structure (LMH) and/or seasons are used, a user will beable to add an optional fourth characteristic (LMH structure or season)to the query selection. In this embodiment, the followingcharacteristics may be available:

-   -   Retail site or customer.    -   Article, article group, or element of the article hierarchy or        theme structure.    -   Time characteristic (i.e., day, week, month).    -   Optional characteristic of the LMH structure or season.

In order to be able to transfer the characteristic values (for example,retail sites, articles, analysis period) that are used for the analysisto the query, the characteristics will be assigned to selectionvariables. The key figures may well come from different sources such asbut not limited to historic data of the operative system, planned data(for example, from Microsoft Excel®), or from a forecasting tool.

The following features may be utilized in various embodiments forparameterizable strategies:

-   -   Consideration of data from the business information warehouse at        the level of the article hierarchy or theme structure level.    -   Consideration of the characteristics LMH (Low, Medium, and High        price range), season for call of the business intelligence        warehouse.    -   Consideration of minimum/maximum values for shortages/surpluses        during recalculation.    -   Consideration of minimum/maximum values for each store from the        article master.    -   Fixed item quantity (distribution of remaining quantity).

In one embodiment, store/article hierarchy/indicator from LMHstructure/period and store/article hierarchy, season/period indicatorare required as levels for aggregation of key figures. In each case, oneof the following key figures can be selected in the strategy: (1)current stock (store stock at time of evaluation), (2) goods recipient(“GR”) (quantity, sales price achieved) sales (quantity, sales priceachieved), and (3) goods receipt calculation: ˜100˜[(purchase price*116)sales price]. The calculation for goods receipt may be carried out asfollows:

-   -   Purchase price=$5, sales price=$10 goods receipt        calculation=100−[($5*116)/$10]=42        The same calculation is performed to determine costing achieved,        except with sales price achieved instead of sales price. The        allocation strategy needs one key figure, however it does not        matter which figure is taken into the query.

In one exemplary embodiment, several parameters are taken intoconsideration. Article hierarchy level or the theme structure with thekey figures will be determined using the business intelligencewarehouse. The characteristics low-medium-high and season are alsoconsidered when the business intelligence warehouse is called. Forexample, in merchandise category “ladies blouses,” there arehigh-medium-low-priced blouses. Thus, a user can query for the sales ina particular merchandise category with the option of further limitingthe search to a specific price category, e.g., low priced blouses.

Here, either a characteristic from the LMH structure or a seasonalcharacteristic will be evaluated during an access from the businessintelligence warehouse. In one embodiment, if values already exist forthe recipients—as in recalculation—surplus/shortage quantities specifiedduring recalculation must not be exceeded. Also, consideration may begiven to minimum/maximum values for each store from the article master.In the article master, the article planning parameters minimum safetystock and maximum must be evaluated as minimum/maximum stocks for eachstore. Furthermore, the planned quantity of item is treated as fixed(distribution of remaining quantity in line with item settings). Thisparameter is required where it must be assumed that the planned quantityof the item cannot be changed for specific allocation table processingprocedures (for example, recalculation, allocation table with referenceto a purchase order). Remaining quantities (positive surplus/negativeshortage quantities) that arise due to rounded values must bedistributed. In one embodiment, a fixed item quantity indicator isprovided. If the fixed item quantity indicator is selected, thedistribution of the remaining quantity will be done within the strategy,which means the given planned quantity will not be adjusted. This isrelevant when a user ordered the goods before, and does not want toallocate exactly this quantity (i.e., no remainder in the storage).

If remaining quantities exist, the system proceeds in line with theremaining quantity distribution in the item. The following options fordistributing remaining quantities are available in the one embodiment:

-   -   Accept remaining quantities—adjust entire quantity (not        permitted if the item quantity is fixed).    -   Remaining quantity on a retail site with largest stock split.    -   Remaining quantity on a retail site with smallest stock split.    -   Remaining quantities on several retail sites with largest stock        split.    -   Remaining quantities on several retail sites with smallest stock        split.

FIG. 16 depicts an exemplary embodiment of an initial screen for aparameterizable allocation strategy. The initial screen 1501 isdisplayed on a graphical user interface. The initial screen 1501, itemdata section 1502 (information), search criteria section 1503 foraccessing the business intelligence database, parameters section 1504 toconsider storage when calculating quantities for each recipient(site/customer), and deviation parameters section 1505. In one exemplaryembodiment, the sections 1501-1505 give a structure to the selectionscreen, i.e., an area for business warehouse selection. In oneembodiment, the predetermined rule utilizes historical data, such asfrom the intelligence business data warehouse, to determine the variablequantity to be allocated to each store. This embodiment allows the pastperformance of a store to be considered during allocation on a rollingbasis.

FIGS. 14 and 15 depict a sample calculation associated with the initialdistribution screen of FIG. 16. The quantity 1403, recipient 1404 (e.g.,stores 1405 and distribution center 1406), and allocation strategy 1407,are provided for the article 1402 being allocated. For example, FIG. 14depicts an initial allocation step 1401 with allocation of 100 pieces ofarticle R100010 to four stores and a distribution center. In adistribution center putaway step 1408, a specific quantity (here 10percent) of the total quantity of the article being allocation is placedin the distribution center (putaway quantity 1409), leaving the quantityto be distributed 1410. Thus, in FIG. 14, ten units of the article 1402are placed in the distribution center as putaway quantity 1409.

In a quota determination step 1414, the quota 1415 for each store 1405with respect to the article 1402 is determined such as by querying thebusiness intelligence warehouse. The quotas 1415 are summed and thequota for each store 1405 is determined as a percentage of the sum. Anew value is calculated based upon the quotas by multiplying thispercentage by the total quantity to be distributed 1410 to arrive at theinitial quantity per store to be distributed 1416.

Consideration of the minimum and/or maximum quantities set for a store1405 occurs in a min/max step 1418. The initial quantity to bedistributed to each store 1416 is compared to a minimum store quantity1419 and a maximum store quantity 1420 (in FIG. 15, a minimum of 12 andno maximum) and a revised quantity per store to be distributed 1421 isdetermined. If the initial quantity per store to be distributed 1416 isless than the minimum store quantity 1419, then a min/max quantity perstore to be distributed 1421 is the minimum quantity 1419. If theinitial quantity per store to be distributed 1416 is more than themaximum store quantity 1420, then the min/max quantity per store to bedistributed 1421 is the maximum quantity 1420. If the initial quantityper store to be distributed 1416 is less than the maximum quantity 1420but more than the minimum quantity 1419, than the min/max quantity perstore to be distributed 1421 is equal to the initial quantity per storeto be distributed 1416.

If the sum of the min/max quantity per store to be distributed 1421 andthe putaway quantity 1409 is greater than or less than the initialquantity to be distributed 1403, then a fix remaining quantity step 1425is performed. As previously discussed, numerous scenarios may be used toreduce the quantities so that they match. For instance, FIG. 15 depictsa scenario 1427 where the remainder of negative two is assigned to beallocated to the two stores with the largest quantities 1428 todetermine total quantity with remainders to be distributed 1429.

Referring now to FIGS. 17 and 18, quantity 1603, recipients 1604 (bothstores 1605 and distribution center 1606), and allocation strategy 1607,are provided for the article 1602 being allocated. For example, FIG. 17depicts allocation of 1000 items of article R100010 to four stores and adistribution center in an initial allocation step 1601. A quantity frominitial distribution 1629 is provided for each recipient 1604.

In a quota determination step 1614, the quota 1615 for each store 1605with respect to the article 1602 is determined such as by querying thebusiness intelligence warehouse. The quotas 1615 are summed and thequota for each store 1605 is determined as a percentage of the sum. Anew value is calculated based upon the quotas by multiplying thispercentage by the total quantity from initial distribution 1610 toarrive at the initial quantity per store to be distributed 1616.

The current store stock is accounted for in a step 1630. In the storestock accounting, the current stock quantity, as taken from the businessintelligence warehouse, is subtracted from the initial quantity perstore to be distributed 1616 to determine the stock-modified quantityper store to be distributed 1631.

With reference now to FIG. 18, a maximum variance check 1635 may beperformed to determine if the change in a store's 1632 stock quantity(if the initial quantity per store to be distributed 1616 were actuallydelivered) will change more than a maximum amount 1634 (10 percent inFIG. 18). A calculation is performed to determine what percentage thestock-modified quantity per store to be distributed 1631 varies from thequantity from initial distribution 1610 for each recipient 1604,resulting in a calculated variance 1636 for each recipient 1604. Thecalculated variance 1636 is compared to the maximum variance 1637. Ifthe calculated variance 1636 is less than or equal to the maximumvariance 1637, then a variance-checked quantity per store to bedistributed 1640 is equal to the stock-modified quantity per store to bedistributed 1631 quantity. If the calculated variance 1636 is more thanthe maximum variance 1637, then the quantity from initial distributionis multiplied by the maximum variance 1637 to determine thevariance-checked quantity per store to be distributed 1640.

A remainder checking step 1645 is performed. If the sum of thevariance-checked quantity per store to be distributed 1640 for eachstore 1605 is less than the sum of the quantity from initialdistribution 1629 for all stores 1605, then the remainder must beassigned to be allocated to a recipient 1604 according to a scenario1646 to determine the final quantity per recipient to be distributed1648. For example, in one embodiment shown in FIG. 18, the remainder1647 is assigned to the distribution center 1606.

In general, there is no restriction on how allocation strategies can beused in the allocation table. The strategies need not be restricted tojust recalculation or online usage. In one exemplary embodiment, thecurrent accumulated stock for all articles of a theme module is recordedat the store level in the business intelligence warehouse. Key figuresare stored for the different aggregation levels in the businessintelligence warehouse.

As the sales/planned data are determined in the business intelligencewarehouse at the assortment module level, for example, a function modulewill be required to determine the article hierarchy or theme structureof an article (the article from the allocation table item for whichallocation is to be carried out). In one exemplary embodiment, anallocation strategy will be implemented per allocation table item. Inother words, if the business intelligence warehouse is accessed perstrategy, one query will be carried out per allocation table item in thebusiness intelligence warehouse (per allocation table item).

In one exemplary embodiment, an allocation table has a post-allocationflag and date, along with a post-allocation strategy, and is referred toas a post-allocation table. When the time of a post-allocation table isreached or a shipment notification is received, then recalculation ofthe allocation table with the post-allocation strategy produces thepost-allocation table. A check may be performed to determine theplausibility of the post-allocation strategies.

In one exemplary embodiment, the article list will be incorporated inthe article possible entries help. This means that the article list canalso be used for multiple selections when selecting the articles forwhich an analysis was carried out in the business intelligence warehouseusing the allocation strategy. In one exemplary embodiment, a user cansave and reuse selection screen variants as templates for the allocationstrategies that provide different parameters on a selection screen. Forexample, in one embodiment, it is provided as a standard function of theselection screen that a user can store the current input data as avariant. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a mechanismfor recording an error log. A log of the messages issued duringimplementation on the allocation screen may also be recorded. In oneembodiment, an info and error log is available after an allocationstrategy is executed.

As noted above, embodiments within the scope of the present inventioninclude program products comprising computer-readable media for carryingor having computer-executable instructions or data structures storedthereon. Such computer-readable media can be any available media thatcan be accessed by a general purpose or special purpose computer. By wayof example, such computer-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM,EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage orother magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used tocarry or store desired program code in the form of computer-executableinstructions or data structures, and which can be accessed by a generalpurpose or special purpose computer. When information is transferred orprovided over a network or another communications connection (eitherhardwired, wireless, or a combination of hardwired and wireless) to acomputer, the computer properly views the connection as acomputer-readable medium. Thus, any such connection is properly termed acomputer-readable medium. Combinations of the above are also to beincluded within the scope of computer-readable media.Computer-executable instructions comprise, for example, instructions anddata which cause a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,or special purpose processing device to perform a certain function orgroup of functions.

In some embodiments, the present invention is described in the generalcontext of method steps, which may be implemented in one embodiment by aprogram product including computer-executable instructions, such asprogram code, executed by computers in networked environments.Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects,components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks orimplement particular abstract data types. Computer-executableinstructions, associated data structures, and program modules representexamples of program code for executing steps of the methods disclosedherein. The particular sequence of such executable instructions orassociated data structures represents examples of corresponding acts forimplementing the functions described in such steps.

The present invention, in some embodiments, may be operated in anetworked environment using logical connections to one or more remotecomputers having processors. Logical connections may include a localarea network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN) that are presented hereby way of example and not limitation. Such networking environments arecommonplace in office-wide or enterprise-wide computer networks,intranets and the Internet. Those skilled in the art will appreciatethat such network computing environments will typically encompass manytypes of computer system configurations, including personal computers,hand-held devices, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based orprogrammable consumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputers, mainframecomputers, and the like. The invention may also be practiced indistributed computing environments where tasks are performed by localand remote processing devices that are linked (either by hardwiredlinks, wireless links, or by a combination of hardwired and wirelesslinks) through a communications network. In a distributed computingenvironment, program modules may be located in both local and remotememory storage devices.

An exemplary system for implementing the overall system or portions ofthe invention might include a general purpose computing device in theform of a conventional computer, including a processing unit, a systemmemory, and a system bus that couples various system componentsincluding the system memory to the processing unit. The system memorymay include read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). Thecomputer may also include a magnetic hard disk drive for reading fromand writing to a magnetic hard disk, a magnetic disk drive for readingfrom or writing to a removable magnetic disk, and an optical disk drivefor reading from or writing to removable optical disk such as a CD-ROMor other optical media. The drives and their associatedcomputer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage ofcomputer-executable instructions, data structures, program modules andother data for the computer.

Software and web implementations of the present invention could beaccomplished with standard programming techniques with rule based logicand other logic to accomplish the various database searching steps,correlation steps, comparison steps and decision steps. It should alsobe noted that the word “component” as used herein and in the claims isintended to encompass implementations using one or more lines ofsoftware code, and/or hardware implementations, and/or equipment forreceiving manual inputs.

It is important to note that the above-described preferred andalternative embodiments of the present invention are illustrative only.Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specificembodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate thatnumerous modifications are possible without materially departing fromthe novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter describedherein. For example, although the allocation table is described ascontaining certain allocation table item data, it should be appreciatedby one skilled in the art that any of the multitude of properties of aspecific good or article could be included in the allocation table.Further, the format of the allocation table is not limited to thoseformats that are disclosed and the term allocation table is intended tobroadly cover all formats to the extent the prior art allows.Accordingly, these and all other such modifications are intended to beincluded within the scope of the present invention. Other substitutions,modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design,operating conditions and arrangement of the preferred and otherexemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention.

1. A method for generating an allocation table in a computerizedprocurement system, comprising the steps of: creating an allocationtable listing a plurality of articles to be allocated and a plurality ofstores to receive the articles; determining an allocation quantity ofeach article for each store based on a fixed quantity of the article anda variable quantity of the article, wherein the fixed quantity of thearticle is the same for each store, and wherein the variable quantity ofthe article is individually computed for each store; and computing thevariable quantity of the article for each store by applying predefinedrules to historical data.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thepredefined rules are chosen from a group consisting of parameterizableand non-parameterizable allocation strategies.
 3. The method of claim 1,further comprising the step of manually creating at least one of thepredefined rules.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed quantityis obtained from an assortment planning system.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein the historical data is obtained from a business intelligencedata warehouse.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the historical datacomprises a key figure.
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising astep chosen from the group consisting of considering current stockquantity of each article for each store, evaluating low-medium-highstructure of each article for each store, evaluating seasonalcharacteristics of each article for each store, consideration of minimumand maximum values of each article for each store, consideration ofputaway quantities of each article for each store, distribution ofremainder quantities of each article for each store, considering quotaquantity levels of each article for each store, and combinationsthereof.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:determining a planned stock value of each article for each store;determining a current stock quantity of each article for each store; andcalculating a current stock situation from a difference between theplanned stock value and the current stock quantity.
 9. An apparatus forgenerating an allocation table in a computerized procurement system,comprising: a central processing unit (CPU); and a storage devicecoupled to the CPU and having information stored therein for configuringthe CPU to: create an allocation table listing a plurality of articlesto be allocated and a plurality of stores to receive the articles;determine an allocation quantity of each article for each store based ona fixed quantity of the article and a variable quantity of the article,wherein the fixed quantity of the article is the same for each store,and wherein the variable quantity of the article is individuallycomputed for each store; and compute the variable quantity of thearticle for each store by applying predefined rules to historical data.10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predefined rules are chosenfrom a group consisting of parameterizable and non-parameterizableallocation strategies.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the storagedevice includes information for further configuring the CPU to allow amanual creation of at least one of the predefined rules.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 9, wherein the fixed quantity is obtained from anassortment planning system.
 13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein thehistorical data is obtained from a business intelligence data warehouse.14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the historical data comprises akey figure.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the storage deviceincludes information for further configuring the CPU to perform one ormore of consider current stock quantity of each article for each store,evaluate low-medium-high structure of each article for each store,evaluate seasonal characteristics of each article for each store,consider minimum and maximum values of each article for each store,consider putaway quantities of each article for each store, distributeremainder quantities of each article for each store, and consider quotaquantity levels of each article for each store.
 16. The apparatus ofclaim 9, wherein the storage device includes information for furtherconfiguring the CPU to: determine a planned stock value of each articlefor each store; determine a current stock quantity of each article foreach store; and calculate a current stock situation from a differencebetween the planned stock value and the current stock quantity.
 17. Aprogram product for generating an allocation table in a computerizedprocurement system, the program product comprising machine readableprogram code for causing, when executed, one or more machines to performthe following method steps: creating an allocation table listing aplurality of articles to be allocated and a plurality of stores toreceive the articles; determining an allocation quantity of each articlefor each store based on a fixed quantity of the article and a variablequantity of the article, wherein the fixed quantity of the article isthe same for each store, and wherein the variable quantity of thearticle is individually computed for each store; and computing thevariable quantity of the article for each store by applying predefinedrules to historical data.
 18. The program product of claim 17, whereinthe predefined rules are chosen from a group consisting ofparameterizable and non-parameterizable allocation strategies.
 19. Theprogram product of claim 17, further comprising the step of manuallycreating at least one of the predefined rules.
 20. The program productof claim 17, wherein the fixed quantity is obtained from an assortmentplanning system.
 21. The program product of claim 17, wherein thehistorical data is obtained from a business intelligence data warehouse.22. The program product of claim 21, wherein the historical datacomprises a key figure.
 23. The program product of claim 22, furthercomprising a step chosen from the group consisting of consideringcurrent stock quantity of each article for each store, evaluatinglow-medium-high structure of each article for each store, evaluatingseasonal characteristics of each article for each store, considerationof minimum and maximum values of each article for each store,consideration of putaway quantities of each article for each store,distribution of remainder quantities of each article for each store,considering quota quantity levels of each article for each store, andcombinations thereof.
 24. The program product of claim 17, furthercomprising the steps of: determining a planned stock value of eacharticle for each store; determining a current stock quantity of eacharticle for each store; and calculating a current stock situation from adifference between the planned stock value and the current stockquantity.